Awkward-Embarrassing | Commonly Confused Words

Awkward

/ˈɔːkwəd/

Difficult to deal with or causing embarrassment because of a lack of skill, ability, or grace.

A pause ensued, in which the schoolmaster looked very awkward.'It's infernally awkward."I'm afraid I'm too awkward, maybe.

/ɪmˈbærəsɪŋ/

Causing a feeling of shame or awkwardness, often in social situations.

I said, after a rather embarrassing pause.The fall at the party was quite embarrassing.His attempt to dance was awkwardly embarrassing.

"Awkward" often refers to situations that feel uncomfortable or happen in a clumsy manner, while "embarrassing" usually makes someone feel ashamed or humiliated.
You might describe an encounter as awkward if there was an uneasy silence or mix-up, but it's embarrassing if you trip and fall during the meeting.
Awkward can relate to physical positions or social situations, whereas embarrassing is more about an emotional reaction.
Awkward sounds more like the environment or scenario, whereas embarrassing focuses on the internal feeling of discomfort.
An awkward moment may not always be embarrassing, but an embarrassing moment is almost always awkward.